Abstract

Objective. The objective of the study was to assess the level of occupational burnout and the relationship between occupational burnout and characteristics of the work environment in a group of psychiatric nurses.
Material and methods. The study was conducted in a group of 100 nurses (94 women, 6 men) working in psychiatric wards in the Masovian Voivodeship. Variables were assessed using the proprietary sociodemographic questionnaire and the following questionnaires: Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ), Psychosocial Working Conditions, part III – Scale of psychosocial support, as well as the Scale of Psychosocial Risk, part D – Healthcare.
Results. All the results in the individual areas of occupational burnout were on an average level. Both the prevalence of psychosocial risks in the workplace and their stress induction were higher than the average score for indicators according to the standards for the health sector. The relationship between psychosocial factors and the areas of occupational burnout as well as received social support and the level of occupational burnout was revealed.
Conclusions. Occupational burnout in the group of psychiatric nurses relates primarily to the lack of commitment to relationships with patients and psychophysical exhaustion. The level of occupational burnout in psychiatric nurses depends on the characteristics of their work environment. Social support in the work environment reduces the risk of burnout in the group of psychiatric nurses. There is a need to identify the characteristics of the work environment that determine burnout in physiotherapists.

Key words:

occupational burnout, psychiatric nursing, work environment, psychosocial factors, social support